Chapter 7
A large blanket completely wrapped around the child’s body.
A frame so small that a single blanket was enough to cover her entirely.
Jujeokseo carefully wrapped the child to block out the cold wind, then stood up from his seat.
“L-Lord.”
Jo Young looked at the small, pale girl with a dazed expression and asked.
“Are you taking her with you?”
At his question, the man’s gaze moved to the small child.
After a moment, he lifted his chin and answered.
“Yes.”
“But… the imperial clothing…”
Jo Young hesitated.
He understood what Jo Young was trying to say.
Rumors were already spreading that the Emperor had nearly gone mad because his concubine still had not woken up, so taking away a girl dressed in imperial garments…
This could become a future source of trouble in the northern lands.
But—
How could he pretend not to see it?
I want to live…
A child who desperately wished to live.
She looked no more than five years old.
Her hands and feet were frozen stiff, and her thin limbs looked as if they would snap at any moment.
It seemed she had been abandoned here for quite some time—if they delayed any longer, she would surely die.
Fortunately, her small heart was still beating, but even that could stop at any moment.
And—
White hair…
Jujeokseo carefully touched the child’s snow-white hair.
The strands slipped through his thick fingers like falling snow.
And that hair—
Brother!
Reminded him of someone.
There was no way he could leave this child here.
If she were already dead, it would be different. But as long as she was alive, he could not abandon her.
And when their eyes met—he saw it.
The flickering spark of life inside those round eyes.
As if saying she was still alive, her small hand tightly gripped his sleeve.
“I understand what you want to say.”
“Lord…”
“But that mad emperor abandoned this child on my land. So now she is mine.”
Jujeokseo carefully placed a warmth stone into the child’s arms as he whispered.
“I merely picked up what was discarded on my land.”
No one could claim ownership over something they had thrown away.
Especially if it was discarded in someone else’s territory.
Even the foolish emperor would understand such a simple law of the world.
The warmth stone he gave her was made from a Vermilion Bird’s feather, and it radiated heat as if she were standing beside a fire.
The child’s chest glowed faintly red from its warmth.
Seeing the careful gesture, Jo Young realized the decision had been made and nodded.
“That’s true… surely no one will complain about something they threw away.”
He quickly added,
“Besides, the Emperor probably doesn’t even think this child is alive.”
As he finished speaking, Jo Young tossed a Vermilion Bird feather into the snowfield.
In an instant, a massive flame erupted.
WHOOSH!
The fire melted away every trace of where the child had been lying, before quickly dying out.
“Brr, it’s cold. Let’s go, Lord. Haa… with all this snow, I wonder how cold it was for this little one.”
He fussed like a bird with its tail on fire as he prepared to leave.
“She’s lucky.”
“Yes… she is lucky.”
But whether the luck belonged to the child—or to them—
Jujeokseo could not tell.
He mounted his horse while holding the child in his arms.
The horse neighed loudly and sprinted back through the snowy field.
On the horse’s back, racing like the wind—
The child stirred slightly for the first time in her life, feeling warmth.
Baeksa was dreaming.
“You stole it! You took it!”
In her dream, Yeoryun screamed at her with a furious face, shaking an empty silk pouch.
Baeksa immediately understood what this was about.
When she was five years old—
Yeoryun’s beloved hair ornament had gone missing. It was a beautiful accessory decorated with pink jewels.
Baeksa had thought it was pretty, but she swore she had never touched it.
Yet Yeoryun accused her simply because she had been called into her room the day before.
“That was a gift from Father to me! Someone like you could never have it!”
Baeksa’s eyes trembled in panic.
“N-no…”
She shook her head desperately.
“I didn’t take it, sister. I really didn’t…”
“Liar! You filthy thing! A snake like you would steal anything!”
Yeoryun became even more enraged, losing control.
She transformed Baeksa into her small snake form and began kicking and beating her.
Baeksa could not even run away—she simply curled up as tightly as possible.
That was the only defense a child like her had.
Then, just as before—
And even now—
There was nothing Baeksa could do.
Even when the ornament was later found in Yeoryun’s bed.
Even when her bruised body hurt and her tears fell.
She could do nothing.
She had returned to the past—but only that much had changed.
Baeksa had long stopped expecting anything to change.
If someone hit her, she would curl up again.
And pray desperately for it to pass.
As she curled up and squeezed her eyes shut, Yeoryun’s voice slowly faded away.
Would it disappear completely like this?
And then… would she finally feel at peace?
Just as she had once wished—
No pain. No sadness.
Baeksa trembled as she thought this.
And finally, when Yeoryun’s voice disappeared completely—
“Hah!”
Baeksa jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.
It was… a dream…
A dream about Yeoryun.
But her body ached as if she had truly been beaten.
It hurts…
She couldn’t tell if it was her body or her heart.
She instinctively curled up—but then realized she was in an unfamiliar place and flinched.
“W-where is this…?”
Where was she?
She carefully searched her memory.
Then she recalled the moment she had been abandoned in Nanto.
Walking through the snow under blades.
A carriage leaving her behind.
Her collapsing alone in the snow.
And then—
Someone… I met someone… ah!
She had met someone from the Vermilion Bird household.
At the last moment, she remembered red eyes looking down at her.
And something warm being placed into her arms.
At the time, she thought it was a dream.
Because there was no way anyone would come to such a desolate place.
And no way anyone would save her.
But—
Baeksa touched the thick, warm blanket she was lying under.
It was soft and warm just by touching it.
Different from the imperial blankets—clean, without stains or tears.
Did that person… save me?
Did they wrap her in this blanket and place her in a warm room?
Baeksa clutched the blanket tightly, unsure of what to do.
It felt too clean, too warm—like something she didn’t deserve.
The thought made her feel strangely ashamed.
She hurriedly tried to push the blanket away and sit on the bare floor instead.
Just then—
Creak.
The wooden door opened.
A stranger entered.
The woman saw Baeksa awake and immediately widened her eyes with a bright smile.
“Oh my goodness, you’re awake?”
